The present invention relates to the design and production of a compress in a sterile pack which, after activation, has a cooling effect.
A compress is to be understood as meaning any type of dressing, bandage or similar item intended to be applied to the body for a medical treatment or other operation.
The compress according to the invention is intended to be used for cryothermic care. It has long been known that cold is very effective in treating certain physical afflictions and, in particular, in relieving pain or in reducing swelling. In certain cases, it is necessary for the cold to be applied to the part of the body that requires treatment while at the same time respecting conditions of sterility. This is particularly true in the case of wounds or areas where the skin is irritated, which may become infected upon contact with microbial agents. When treating such wounds, it is absolutely essential that anything placed in contact with the wound be sterile.
The compress according to the invention can be used in any place where it may be desirable to deliver cold to the body, whether this be a human body or the body of an animal, under sterile conditions. It is particularly advantageous in a hospital environment because, in such an environment, it is de rigueur to use only sterile equipment in order to minimize the spread of infections, especially nosocomial infections.
Compresses with a cooling effect intended to be applied to the body are known from the prior art. Such compresses, which are entirely advantageous from the point of view of the effectiveness of the cold delivered and their comfort of use have been designed in particular on the basis of polymers with a high water absorption capacity, which produce cold by evaporation and desorption of the absorbed water. By way of example, mention may be made of the compresses described in document U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,577. These compresses are made up of particles of absorbent polymer contained within a textile wrapper. In order to exert their cooling action, they need first of all to be activated, that is to say immersed in water, so that the polymer particles swell by absorbing water. They then exert their cooling effect, by evaporation and desorption of the water absorbed by the polymer. Such compresses are entirely suited to day-to-day use by private individuals, in order to relieve the pain caused, for example, by a muscle or ligament injury or even a migraine. However, they are not suitable for use in a hospital environment for example, because they do not come in sterile form, and it is furthermore impossible to activate them under satisfactory conditions of sterility.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,532 proposes, in order to activate a cooling compress based on an absorbent polymer, for it to be placed inside a plastic bag, and then for the water required to activate it to be poured into this bag. The bag is then closed up for the time needed for the compress to absorb the water. This method of activation does not allow a sterile compress to be contained. The problem of the sterility of the compress is not tackled in that document.